Device for closing bottom dump barge



United States Patent DEVICE FOR CLOSING BOTTOM DUMP BARGE 12 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl H 114/29 Int. Cl B63b 35/30, B63b 35/38 Field of Search l l4/29, 30, 27

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,401,661 9/1968 Van Der Werf 114/29 Primary ExaminerTrygve M. Blix Attorney-McGlew and Toren ABSTRACT: A bottom dump barge is comprised of a pair of barge sections hinged together along a longitudinally extending axis located at approximately the deck level of the barge. For moving the barge sections from the closed to the opened position, an arm is secured to one barge section and extends in cantilever fashion transversely across the hinge axis to a point above the other barge section and a closing device is secured at its upper end to the free end of the cantilever arm and at its lower end to the other barge section. The closing member can be locked to retain the barge sections in the closed position.

Patented Dec. 1, 1970 Sheet Georg Onderco y w mk mm V 8 Wm U 3 m F ATTORNEYS Patefited Dec. 1, 19m 7 r 3,543,70

Sheet 2 ofS FIG.40

INVENTORS Ludwlg Bock Georg Onderco ATTORNEYS Patented Dc. l, 1970 Sheet FIG.5

DEVICE FOR CLOSING BOTTOM DUMP BARGE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a closing device for bottom dump hopper barges formedby two barge sections hinged together in the longitudinal direction, and more particularly, it is concerned with the combination of a cantilevered arm and a closing device for closing the barge sections.

Generally, the opening of the loaded hopper barges is accomplished automatically by the pressure of the cargo on the hopper bottom which extends obliquely downward from the sides to the center of the hopper section.

In the present invention, the longitudinally extending sections of the hopper barge are hinged together on an axis which is located approximately at the deck level of the barge. This construction has the advantage over previously known arrangements in that the inner longitudinal walls of the hopper barge sections are closer together over the entire height of the barge in the closed position and the angle of swing and accordingly, the inclination of the deck are comparatively small when the hopper barge is in the opened position.

When hydraulic cylinders, used for closing the barge sections, are arranged in the usual position below the hinge axis of the barge sections and extending horizontally in the transverse direction of the barge they become wet, at least temporarily, especially when the barge is loaded and is riding lower in the water. One suggested arrangement used in the past to overcome this problem has been to seal the hydraulic cylinders within compartments in one of the barge sections. With such an arrangement, however, as the piston rod connected to the other barge section is extended and retracted, a problem is presented which must be considered.

Another device used in the past employs the hydraulic cylinder located outside the hopper in one barge section with the cylinder actuating a lever arrangement for locking the barge sections in the closed position. The use of a lever arrangement tends to complicate the construction of the closing device.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to avoid any additional lever arrangements which require extra hinge connections and to simplify the closing device while improving its safety;

Therefore, in the present invention, an arm is attached to one of the barge sections and extends transversely in cantilevered fashion, toward the other barge section crossing the hinge axis of the barge. At the opposite end of the cantilevered arm from its connection to one of the barge sections a closing device, such as a hydraulic cylinder and piston rod, is positioned in the barge with the piston rod attached to the cantilevered end of the arm and the cylinder pivotally secured to the other barge section.

Another feature of the arrangement of the present invention is the disposition of the closing member with its upper end secured to the arm being closer to a vertical plane through the hinge axis of the barge sections than the lower end of the closing member which is pivotally secured to the other barge section.

The cantilevered arm for pivoting the barge sections can be secured to a bulkhead limiting one end of the hopper transverse to the longitudinal direction. Alternatively, the arm can be secured to the joint hinging the barge sections together or it can be spaced in the longitudinal direction from the hinge joint. Moreover, other suitable structural elements of the barge section can be employed in absorbing and distributing the forces transmitted by the arm.

Another feature of the invention is the ability to detachably secure the arm to one of the barge sections.

When the barge sections are in the closed position, a device can be employed for locking them together whereby the closing member is not required for holding the barge sections together after they are moved into the closed position.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of. the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. I is a schematic transverse sectional view of a bottom dump hopper barge embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial top view of the hopper barge shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial transverse view illustrating a latching means for securing the hopper barge sections in the closed position;

FIG. 3a is a partial sectional transverse view similar to FIG. 3, but illustrating a different form of latching means;

FIG. 4 is a partial side view taken along the lines IV-IV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4a is a partial side view taken along the line IVa-IVa in FIG. 3a;

FIG. 5 is a schematic transverse sectional view, similar to that shown in FIG. I, and illustrating an alternate embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a partial top view of the hopper barge shown in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic transverse sectional view, similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, and illustrating yet another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIGS. 1 and 2 a bottom dump hopper barge is illustrated being comprised of two longitudinally extending barge sections 1 and 2 hinged together at joints 4 located at the deck level of the barge and spaced outwardly from a loading trough formed by the barge sections 1 and 2. In FIG. 2, only one of the joints 4 is shown. Due to the manner in which the barge sections 1 and 2 are articulated together the barge sections can be pivoted about a longitudinally extending hinge axis 5 located at approximately the deck level of the barge.

As shown in FIG. 2, immediately forwardly and rearwardly of the hopper or hold 3, an arm 6 is rigidly secured to the barge section I and is integral with the transverse bulkhead limiting either the forward or rearward end of the hold 3. The arm 6 extends, in cantilever fashion across the longitudinally extending hinge axis 5 laterally from the axis to a point located above the other barge section 2. At the cantilevered or free end of the arm 6 a hydraulic unit is pivotally secured to the arm. The hydraulic unit extends downwardly into the barge section 2 and is pivotally secured at its lower end thereto. The hydraulic unit is comprised of a piston rod 8 axially movably mounted within a cylinder 9. The upper end of the piston rod 8 is connected at a hinge connection 7 to the cantilevered end of arm 6 while the lower end of the cylinder 9 is connected by means of a hinge connection 10 to the bottom of the barge section 2.

As shown in solid lines in FIG. 1, the barge sections 1 and 2 are in the closed position forming the hopper or hold 3 with the piston 8 being located in the extended or "out" position as shown in FIG. 1. When the piston rod is retracted into the in" position, the upper hinge connection 7 is displaced downwardly and the lower hinge connection 10 is displaced upwardly while the barge sections 1 and 2 separate from one another forming the bottom dump opening from the barge.

In FIGS. 3 and 4 and 3a and 4a, respectively, latching devices are shown for securing the barge sections in the closed position. As indicated in FIG. I, the barge sections are pivoted into the opened position by moving the piston rod 8 downwardly thorough the cylinder. Accordingly, if the piston rod and cantilever arms are blocked from effecting the downward movement then the barge sections 1 and 2 can be locked in the closed position.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a latching device 13 is articulated to the deck 11 of the hopper barge and is movable in the longitudinal direction by means of a small hydraulic cylinder and piston rod 12. With the latching means 13 disposed below the hinged connection 7, the cantilever arm 6 and the piston rod 8 are locked in place and the barge sections 1 and 2 will remain in the closed position. By retracting the hydraulic cylinder unit 12, the latching means can be removed and it is then possible to move the barge sections into the opened position.

As an alternative arrangement for locking the barge sections 1 and 2 in the closed position, a loose latch member 14, as shown in FIGS. 3a and 4a, is positioned in locking engagement with the hinge connection and the cantilevered end of arm 6 and is pushed into or removed from position by means ofa handle 15.

In either of the arrangements shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 or 3a and 4a with the latching devices in position, it is not necessary to maintain the hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic unit comprised of the cylinder 9 and the piston rod 8 to retain the hopper barge in its closed position.

As distinguished from FIG. 2, where the hinge joint 4 and the arm 6 are spaced from one another in the longitudinal direction, in FIGS. and 6, the arm 17 is integral with the hinged joint 16 pivotally securing the barge sections 1 and 2 about the hinged axis. In this arrangement, the hydraulic unit is mounted in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 1 with the piston rod 8 pivotally secured to the hinge connection 7 at the cantilevered end of arm 17 and the cylinder 9 being pivotally secured to the hinged connection 10 at the bottom of the barge section 2. Accordingly, barge sections 1 and 2 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 are moved between the closed and opened positions in the same manner as that described for FIG. 1.

In FIG. 7, a different configuration of an arm 18 is shown as compared to the arms 6 and 17 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5, respectively. In the previously described embodiments, the cantilevered arm extends transversely in a substantially horizontal plane across the deck level of the hopper barge, while, as shown in FIG. 7, the arm 18 slopes upwardly from the barge section 1 to a point above the barge section 2. In this arrangement, the hydraulic unit 8, 9 is disposed at a greater angle to the vertical plane through the hinge axis between the barge sections 1 and 2 and, moreover, a latch member 19 is provided for locking the barge sections in the closed position. After the latch member 19 is removed, the barge sections 1 and 2 can be moved to the opened position of the hopper barge by retracting the piston rod 8 into the cylinder 9 which pulls the arm 18 downwardly and the hinge connections 7 and 10 between the hydraulic unit and the arm and barge section 2, respectively, being displaced about the hinge axis 5 corresponding to the movement of the barge sections 1 and 2 into the opened position.

In all of the embodiments described, the arms can be secured in a detachable manner to the barge sections. Further, it is also possible to reverse the directions of the arms at the opposite ends of the hopper 3 with each arm being secured to a different one of the barge sections and cantilevering over the other barge section. In such an arrangement, the hydraulic units at the opposite ends of the hold 3 of the hopper barge extend diagonally to each other.

While the invention has been described using a hydraulic unit for closing the barge sections, it can be appreciated that other mechanical or electromechanical means can be used in place of the hydraulic unit.

We claim:

1. A closing device for a bottom dump barge comprising a first and second longitudinally extending barge section arranged in opposed relationship to form a hopper, means for hingedly interconnecting said barge sections together along a hinge axis extending in the longitudinal direction of said barge sections and located approximately at the upper level of the hopper whereby said barge sections can be pivoted about the longitudinal hinge axis for dumping cargo from the bottom of the hopper and for returning the barge sections into the closed position, an arm having a first end and a second end being connected at its first end to said first barge section and extending transversely across and approximately at the level of the longitudinal hinge axis of said barge sections with its second end positioned above said second barge section and spaced laterally from the hinge axis, and a closing member angularly positioned relative to said arm and being articulated at one end to the second end of said arm and extending downwardly therefrom with its other end being articulated to the lower part of said second barge section.

2. A closing device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said arm is integrally secured to the transverse end of said first barge section limiting the end of the hopper and is spaced in the longitudinal direction from said means for interconnecting said barge sections together.

3. A closing device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said arm is formed integrally with said means for interconnecting said barge sections together.

4. A closing device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein a pair of said arms is secured to said barge sections each at an opposite transverse end of said hopper, and at the opposite ends of said hopper one of said arms being attached to said first barge section and the other said arm being attached to said second barge section whereby said closing members hingedly attached to said arms are disposed with axes arranged diagonally to one another.

5. A closing device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said arm is detachably secured to said first barge section.

6. A closing device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the axis of said arm extending from said first barge section to said second barge section is substantially parallel with the upper level of said hopper.

7. A closing device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the axis of said arm extending laterally from said first section to said second section extends angularly upwardly from said first barge section to said second barge section with the second end of said arm being spaced above the upper level of said hopper.

8. A closing device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said closing member comprises a hydraulic unit, said hydraulic unit comprising a hydraulic cylinder, and a piston arm axially movable through said hydraulic cylinder between an in position and an out position, the end of said piston arm spaced from said cylinder being hingedly connected to the second end of said arm and the lower end of said cylinder being hingedly connected to the lower portion of said second barge section.

9. A closing device, as set forth in claim 8, wherein the upper end of said piston rod secured to said arm is spaced closer to a vertical plane extending through said hinge axis between said first and second barge sections than the lower end of said cylinder secured to said second barge section whereby the axis of said hydraulic unit is angularly disposed with respect to the vertical plane passing through said hinge axis.

10. A closing device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein a locking device is arranged to be positioned between the end of said arm secured to said closing member and the upper level of said second barge section for preventing the movement of said closing member and arm whereby said barge sections are locked in the closed position.

11. A closing device, as set forth in claim 10, wherein said locking device comprises an extendable hydraulic member and a locking element secured to the end of said extendable hydraulic member whereby said locking element is selectively positionable between said arm and the upper level of said second barge section.

12. A closing device, as set forth in claim 10, wherein said locking device comprises a locking element, a handle attached to said locking element, and said locking element being manually positionable between said arm and the upper level of said barge section for effecting the locking action in the closed position. 

